National Parkinson Foundation Awards Grants to Support Services in Seven Local Communities Across the Country

Release date: 12/21/2012

National Parkinson Foundation Awards Grants to Support Services in Seven Local Communities Across the Country

MIAMI, FL — The National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) announced today that it awarded seven grants to NPF Chapters through its new Chapter Grant Fund. The Chapter Grant Fund is an annual fund that supports NPF Chapters to enhance their ability to reach additional people with Parkinson’s in their local community and to build capacity for sustainable programs.

NPF Chapters are community organizations that provide local services, such as health and wellness programs for people with Parkinson’s disease and their families. NPF Chapters also conduct support groups, produce newsletters and raise awareness and funds through local fundraising events.

“With the help of NPF’s network of Chapters, we are able to fulfill our mission to improve the quality of Parkinson’s care through research, education and outreach,” said Joyce Oberdorf, NPF’s President and CEO. “Each NPF Chapter is a lifeline for those living with Parkinson’s and their families. These grants help our chapters empower those living with the disease to live their best life with it.”

Grants were awarded to the following NPF Chapters: Arizona, Heartland, Minnesota, North Florida, South Dakota, Western New York and Western Pennsylvania. The grant projects range from training nurses and community health workers about Parkinson’s in minority populations to facilitating Parkinson’s educational conferences and launching sustainable dance and choir programs.

The NPF Chapter Grant Fund is made possible by NPF National Partners for Moving Day, a walk for Parkinson’s launched in 2011, including Medtronic, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Right at Home. NPF will also be making community grants for services in Chicago and Miami next year from the proceeds of the 2012 Moving Days. The majority of the funds raised for Moving Day are dedicated to improving the local services for people living with Parkinson’s. The grant funding pool will increase exponentially as the Moving Day program continues to grow.

About Parkinson's Disease
Affecting an estimated 1 million Americans and from 4 million to 6 million worldwide, Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's and is the 14th leading cause of death in the United States. It is associated with a progressive loss of motor control (e.g., shaking or tremor at rest and lack of facial expression) as well as non-motor symptoms (e.g., depression and anxiety). There is no cure for Parkinson's, and 50,000 to 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States alone.

About The National Parkinson Foundation
Founded in 1957, the National Parkinson Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of care for people with Parkinson's disease through research, education and outreach. NPF has funded more than $164 million in care, research and support services. For more information about NPF, visit www.parkinson.org or call 1-800-4PD-INFO (473-4636).